Life-boat-releasing appliance.



D. SENAGOL.

LIFE BOAT RELEASING APPLIANCE.

APPLIGATION FILED 11111.14, 1911. 1,026,469. Patented'May 14, 1912.

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LIFE BOAT RELEASING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION rum) JAN.14, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

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D. SENAOOL. LIFE BOAT RELEASING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

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LIFE-BOAT-RELEASING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14;, 1912.

Application filed January 14, 1911. Serial No. 602,554.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID SENACOL, a subject of the Czar'of Russia, and a resident of Greenwood, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Life-Boat-Releasing Appliance, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in appliances for releasing life-boats, and has in view a construction embodying a hanger, and a coupling appliance, the hanger being carried on one of the boat falls and provided with an enlargement or head at its lower end, and the coupling appliances having a socket member to receive the head of the hanger and hinged to move the hanger laterally and eject it to one side of the coupling appliance.

The invention further resides in an ejector to assist the socket member in the expulsion of the hanger, and also resides in the mechanism for operating the said member and ejector.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side view of a life-boat releasing appliance embodying my invention, one of the covers of the head of the coupling appliance being removed and the parts in a position, as when the hanger is engaged; Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the parts disposed as when the hanger is ejected; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the appliance, on the line 33 of Fig. 5, showing the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a like section, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 66 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a like section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

In the construction of my improved lifeboat releasing appliance, I provide a hanger 10, which is carried by one of the boat falls, and has a head 11, preferably in the form of a ball and rotatably applied to the hanger as shown in Fig. 3. The coupling apparatus with which the hanger is engaged comprises a head 12, a neck 13, a body por tion 14, a leg 15, a foot 16, and an external flange 17 cast or otherwise rigidly applied to the neck at the base of the head, this flange and the foot 16 serving to secure the coupling apparatus to the boat, this being ordinarily carried out as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by passing the neck 13 through the seat of the boat and bolting the foot 16 to the keel and keelson.

The head 12 is in the nature of a shell closed at the back and open at the front, the head having, as best shown in Fig. 5, double side walls spaced substantially apart, the outer walls being formed by removable side cover plates 18. The top of the head is rounded from front to rear, and is formed with a concentric guide groove 19, the guide groove communicating with a vertical central slot 20, extending through the front of the head and reaching sufficiently far back to permit of the stem or body portion of the hanger 10 to pass laterally into the head and be brought into vertical axial alinement therewith.

The body 1 1' is provided with side pockets extending vertically therethrough, in which pockets are located tension springs 21, the lower ends of the springs being attached to vertical pins 22, passing through a footactuated slide 23, which is movable over and guided on the intermediate portion of the leg 15. The upper ends of the springs 21 are adjustably connected to a cross-head 2 1 vertically movable in guide grooves 25, the adjustment-of the upper ends of the springs and also the pins 22 being preferably effected by threading each and providing it with a nut, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

Fixed to the stub-shafts 26 journaled in the opposite inner walls of the head 12 and adjacent to the upper open portion of the front is a socket member or hanger carrier 27, the said member having studs 28 projecting from opposite sides and bearing in arc slots 29 formed in the'inner walls of the head concentric to the stub-shafts 26, the slots 29 being of sufiicient extent to permit of the socket member swinging to a vertical position to eject the hanger, as shown in Fig. 4, and swinging to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, for coupling the hanger, the socket member being slotted correspondingly to the head to admit and eject the hanger. The studs 28, as shown in Fig. 8, are in the nature of nipples threaded into the socket member, and are internally threaded for receiving pivot screws 30, y of the head in front of the stem of the which connect one end of an angular lever 31. These levers are arranged in the side chambers of the head, and are rigid with the respective stub-shafts 26. Also rigid with the stub-shafts and arranged within the chambers of the head are segmental pinions 32, in mesh with segmental pinions 33, which have arms 34L connected to the opposite ends of a slide 35 of an ejector 36, the ejector having an ejector roller 37 adapted to engage the rear side of the hanger 10.

Forked levers 38 are operatively connected to the angular levers 31 at one side of the pivot screws 30 by links 39, and are secured at their opposite ends to a crossshaft 40, the cross-shaft, as best shown in Fig. 6, being journaled in the inner walls of the head, and having attached releasing hooks 41 arranged at opposite sides of the center, and adapted to bear, when forced down, against apivotal stop member 42, the latter having a catch shoulder 43 at the top adapted to be engaged by a spring pressed latch member 14:, which holds the stop member 42 in inoperative position. It will be seen that the stop member 42 is pivoted at it lower end at 112, and is normally urged inward at its upper end by a spiral spring 110, for a purpose to be described. The third arm of each forked lever is operatively connected to one end of the yoke 24 by a link 45.

The body member 14, as best shown in Fig. 7, is preferably constructed of side sections, each side section having one of the vertical pockets for one of the tension springs 21, and with the two side sections secured together at the edges by dove-tailed plates 4L6, the side sections of the body and the plates 46 being suitably bolted together. Between the side sections 1 1 at each side of the center of the body is journaled between removable wear-plates, a pinion 17, the pinions meshing at the outer sides with racks 18, vertically guided between the plates 46 and the wear-plates of the pinions, both racks attached to the foot-actuated member, and one of the racks being extended without teeth to just pass below the pivotal stop member when the foot-actuated slide 23 is fully depressed. The pinions also mesh with an intermediate or central rack 49, which is guided in the leg, and is provided with a compression spring 50, the compression spring being arranged on the extended cylindrical portion of the rack bet-ween a shoulder formed in the upper portion of the leg and a head or other enlargement applied to the lower end of the said cylindrical portion. The foot-actuated member is provided below the front and rear edges of the body with foot pieces 23*.

A locking bolt 51 is adapted to slide through suitable openings in the side walls hanger, as best shown in Fig. 3, and prevent the hanger from being accidentally displaced during the raising of the boat. This locking bolt is preferably suitably connected to the head by a chain 52, which prevents the bolt from being lost.

In the operation of the appliance, when raising the boat, the'hanger is passed into the socket member or cup, and the locking bolt 51 applied, as shown in Fig. 3. lVhen lowering the boat, the locking bolt 51 is withdrawn from its forelocking position. It is to be understood that the cup is in its normal or horizontal position, with its upper so surface bearing against the inner side or roof of the head. The yoke is also in its normal or uppermost position, and the two tension springs are also in their normal position, as is the compression spring. The slide is in its uppermost position, with the toothless upper end of the slide rod projecting past the stopper and below the catch. This stopper will be compressing tightly, due to its spiral spring, against the rear surface of the projecting toothless end of the slide rod, and the catch 43 of the stop L2 will be too far inward to be engaged by the latch member 44 upon the descent of the slide rod as hereinafter described. The catch 44 is in'its uppermost position, with the vertical spring beneath the rear end thereof compressed, and the hooks 41 are likewise in their uppermost position. By pressing down with the foot on the slide, it will cause the two tension springs to be extended, and the compression spring to be contracted; also, it will cause the stopper to be acted upon by the stopper spiral spring 110, and so cause the stopper to be pushed 195 forward. Such action will lock the slide rod or rack, and as the rack is connected to the slide, it will hold the slide, the slide rods or racks, the tension springs and the compression spring in a cooked position. As soon as the boat reaches the water, and the lowering falls are slacked, or a slack obtained, by wave action on the boat, the two tension springs being already expanded and cocked, will immediately act upon the yoke and the rods connected with the yoke and the cup, tending to pull the yoke clownward and so cause the cup' to be swung down, and the roller to swing forward and so it will cause the hanger to be ejected. In the meantime, as the yoke swings downward, it will also pull the cross-shaft and the hooks connected to it down; and as the hooks swing down, they will open or release the stopper, and so cause the compression spring to kick itself downward, or to its normal position, bringing the contraction spring rod with it. Such action will cause the pinions to act upon the slide rods, tending to push the slide rods, the slide, the ten 1 sion springs, the yoke, yoke rods, and the cup in an upward position, or a ready-forhoisting position. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a boat hanger having a head, a releasing apparatus having a socket hanger carrier to receive the head in suspending the boat, and means to swing the socket hanger carrier downwardly and eject the hanger laterally from one side of the releasing apparatus.

2. The combination of aboat hanger, a releasing apparatus having a head, and a hanger carrier fulcrumed in the head to swing downwardly and outwardly, and adapted to receive and hold the hanger, the head of the apparatus and hanger carrier having a vertical slot passing through one side thereof for the entry and ejectmentof the hanger.

3. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a head, and a hanger carrier arranged in the head and fulcrumed to swing clownwardly and outwardly in a position to eject the hanger laterally, the hanger carrier and the head being vertically slotted through one side, for the entry and ejectment of the hanger.

4. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a head, a hanger carrler arranged within the head and fulcrumed to swing downwardly and outwardly to a position to release thehanger, and an ejector to force the hanger clear of the head when the hanger is released by the carrier.

5. In a hanger releasing appara-tusfor boats, a head, a hanger carrier arranged in the head and fulcrumed to swing clownwardly and outwardly to a position to release the hanger, an ejector arranged to engage back of the hanger and force it clear of the head when released by the carrier, and an actuating mechanism cooperatively con nected to the carrier and ejector.

In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a head, a hanger carrier arranged within the head and having a socket to receive the head of the hanger, an ejector to engage back of the hanger, a cross-head cooperatively connected to the hanger carrier and ejector, and a foot-actuated member having a yielding connection with the crosshead.

7. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a hanger having a head, a releasing apparatus having a hanger carrier provided with a socket to receive the head of the hanger, an ejector arranged over the hanger carrier, and actuating means operatively connected to the carrier and ejector to swing the carrier downwardly and outwardly and to release the hanger and swing the ejector outwardly to force the hanger from the carrier.

8. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a hanger carrier fulcrumed to swing downwardly and outwardly to release the hanger, a foot-actuated member, and means operatively connecting the foot actuated member to the carrier, having ayielding member in its length.

9. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a leg having pinions, a rack arranged within the leg and having a compression spring, a foot-actuated member slidable on the leg and having racks in mesh with the said pinions, a body secured to the leg, a head carried by the body, a hanger carrier arranged within the head and fulcrumed to swing downwardly and outwardly to release the hanger, and means operatively connecting the foot-actuated member to the hanger carrier, having tension springs.

10. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a leg, a body secured to the leg, a neck secured to the body, a head carried by the neck, a hanger carrier arranged within the head and adapted to swing downwardly and outwardly to release the hanger, an ejector slidable in the head over the hanger to force the hanger from the carrier when released by the latter, a foot-actuated member slidable on the leg, and means cooperatively connecting the foot-actuated member with the carrier and ejector.

11. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a head having arcuate slots in the side walls thereof, a hanger carrier arranged within the head and pivoted to swing down wardly and outwardly to eject the hanger laterally of the head, the carrier having studs arranged at the opposite sides thereof and movable in the said slots, levers connected to the outer ends of the pivot of the hanger carrier and to the respective studs, and means to actuate the said levers.

12. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a head having chambers at the opposite sides thereof, a hanger carrier having stub-shafts journaled in the walls of the head adapting the hanger to swing clownwardly and outwardly to release the hanger, actuating mechanisms arranged in the chamher and connected to the respective stubshafts, a cross-head to which the said mechanisms are connected, and an actuating member operatively connected to the cross-head.

13. In a hanger releasing apparatus for boats, a head, a hanger carrier fulcrumed in the head to swing into horizontal and vertical positions, and spring actuated mechanism connected with the carrier and acting to swing said carrier into a horizontal or ver tical position.

14. The combination with a boat hanger, of a head suspended from said hanger so as to exert a downward pull on said hanger coupling mechanism connected to said hea for securing said hanger to said head, and

an automatic release for ejecting sa-id hanger from said head when the downward pull thereon is relieved.

15. The combination with a boat hanger, of a head suspended from said hanger so as to exert a downward pull thereon, said head having an opening in the side thereof, coupling mechanism securing said hanger to said head, and an automatic release for ejecting said hanger from said head through said side opening by a downward, outward movement when the downward pull thereon is relieved.

16. In a releasing appliance, the combination with a hanger, of a coupling device with which said hanger is engaged to carry a load, said coupling device having a member for drawing the hanger downwardly relative thereto and ejecting the hanger laterally out of engagement therewith.

17. In a releasing appliance, the combination with a hanger, of a coupling device having a member with which the hanger is en gaged to carry a load, said member being bifurcated and fulcrumed at its inner end and for drawing said hanger downwardly relative thereto and ejecting said hanger from one side of the coupling device through the bifurcation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID SENACOL.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN R. Rooms, LORIN A. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

